The plane flew across the sky, leaving a contrail.
Zong Yanxi did not inform anyone of her return, not even Zhuang Jiawen, whom she had always kept in touch with.
She knew where her parents lived, so she hailed a taxi and went directly to their residence after getting off the plane.
It was already nighttime. She was beyond exhausted, for she had not taken any rest after dealing with Jiang Mohan.
Of course, she did this on purpose so her parents would not be too mad at her when they saw her weary face.
She hoped that upon seeing her haggardness, her parents would not ask her to explain the past.
Shortly after, the taxi came to a halt in front of a small river. She paid the driver and got out of the car. To get to the other side, she had to board a small boat. Of course, the river also came with a bridge for that purpose, but the bridge was quite a distance away and she had no energy left to walk.
She lifted her wrist to look at the time. It’s a little after eight. I still can board the boat. She was familiar with the boat schedule because she had taken it before.
Unfortunately, when she glanced at the river, no boats were in sight.
Did I remember it wrongly?
She let out a sigh. I guess I still have to walk to the bridge. Though she was worn out, that was the only option she had right now.
Both sides of the river were paved with verdant and neatly trimmed lawns; there were banana trees everywhere. The weather here was much hotter compared to where she came from.
It was nighttime and she was sweating after walking for just a short while. She still had ways to go before reaching the bridge.
She decided to take a break in the middle of her walk, and took out her phone. Her heart ached as Jiang Mohan’s face suddenly flashed across her mind.
Though she seemed tranquil, it was actually difficult for her to erase her feelings for him. After all, she had loved him even before they were married.
She was brave and gave him her whole heart, yet everything ended up this way.
She had intended to check her phone but then decided against it. She shook her head, trying to get rid of her messy thoughts.
From now on, he’s no longer in my life!
When she was about to continue her short journey, she noticed some movements in the grass. Curious, she went to check on it. Pushing aside the grass under the guidance of the light from street lamps, she spotted a tiny brown poodle with doe eyes and a red collar. It seemed like it had run away from its owner.
She stretched out a hand to pat on its head. “You’re really cute.”
She used to have a dog, too, but hers was covered with snow-white fur and it was much bigger than this one.
However, it died of old age. She never had pets after that because she did not want to go through the pain of loss again.
“Where is your owner?” She asked as she carried the dog.
Despite being in a stranger’s arms, the dog did not panic, nor did it struggle to set itself free. Instead, it buried itself in Zong Yanxi’s arms, which made her laugh. “Why are you so clingy to a stranger? Aren’t you afraid I’ll take you away? You’ll never meet your owner again.”
“Torah,” a young girl called. Hearing its name, the dog jumped out of Zong Yanxi’s arms and ran towards its owner.
The little girl seemed to be around four to five years old. She was wearing a puff sleeve dress and her slightly blonde hair was tied into two braids. Zong Yanxi could see the girl’s facial features clearly under the light. She had thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and pale skin. Perhaps she was mixed-race——most people in this country did not have fair skin. The girl picked up her poodle and patted its head as she spoke in Thai, “Where were you? I’ve been looking for you.”
After that, she lifted her head and stared at Zong Yanxi.
The latter was not that familiar with the language; she could only understand basic sentences.
“Is this… your dog?” she asked in not-so-fluent Thai.
“Who are you? Why were you holding my Torah?” the little girl ignored her question.
Zong Yanxi was unable to respond since she did not understand her. On top of that, she was rushing to go to her parents’ house.
Because of the language barrier, Zong Yanxi remained silent. She smiled at the little girl and gestured that her dog was adorable before walking on.
The little girl blinked as she stared at Zong Yanxi. She then put the dog down to hook a leash around its collar. “Let’s go home.”
With that, she trailed behind the woman.
Zong Yanxi was aware of the little girl behind her but she said nothing. After walking some distance, she noticed the little girl was still following closely behind with her dog. She then halted her steps and turned to ask the girl, “Where… is your family?”
Fearing that the little girl would not understand, Zong Yanxi used hand gestures to communicate with her.
Though it was a total mess, the little girl still understood her question as she pointed to a remarkable-looking mansion across the river. “My house.”
Oh. So her house is also across the river. But it’s late. Why is she wandering alone outside?
“Let me hold your hand,” she uttered to the little girl.
We’re going in the same direction anyway. I can accompany her.
The little girl was just like her dog. She was not afraid of strangers and took Zong Yanxi’s hand.
This behavior is dangerous. What if she encounters a kidnapper? How did her parents teach her?
When they reached the bridge, the little girl suddenly stopped walking. “I’m tired.”
Zong Yanxi stared at her without saying a word.
The little girl then tugged at her legs and gave a yank on her arms. “Carry.”
